Anterior segment indocyanine green angiography in anterior scleritis and episcleritis
Yan Guex-Crosier1, Jacques Durig
1Jules Gonin Eye Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Objective:
To evaluate the pattern of anterior segment indocyanine green (ICG) angiography in episcleritis and scleritis.
Design:
Prospective comparative (paired-eye) observational case series.
Participants:
Twenty subjects presenting clinical diseases compatible with episcleritis or scleritis.
Methods:
Anterior segment ICG angiography was performed according to a standard protocol in subjects presenting either episcleritis or scleritis. Photographs of the anterior segment were taken in the early phase (up to 3 minutes after dye injection), intermediate phase (10-12 minutes) and late phase (30-45 minutes). The inflamed zones were compared with the same regions of the controlateral eye. The amount of protein ICG exudation was scored by a masked observer as follows: zero for no exudation, one for slight exudation, two for moderate exudation, and three for severe exudation.
Main Outcome Measures:
Evaluation of dye leakage, which reflects protein exudation, with anterior segment ICG angiography in episcleritis and scleritis.
Results:
Twenty subjects with a mean age of 43 +/- 15 years (7 male, 13 female) were enrolled in the study. Thirteen subjects had anterior scleritis (7 nodular, 5 diffuse, and 1 scleromalacia perforans), and 7 subjects had episcleritis. Only 1 out of 7 subjects with episcleritis showed a slight ICG leakage (a score of one), whereas all subjects with scleritis had ICG leakage scores of one or more (P = 0.0005, Fisher exact test).
Conclusions:
ICG angiography of the anterior segment of the eye is a good clinical test to differentiate episcleritis from scleritis.
